Forgotten Fifties Hats, The Cooky Cutter Hat

Five years ago when I first got really into dressing in vintage style every day I was drawn to the 1930’s for two reasons, my love of the Astaire and Rogers films, and my fascination with hats.  There is no denying it the 1930’s was a brilliant decade for hats, and I loved wearing mine.

 

As the years passed thought I got more and more into 1950’s styles.  I was drawn to the fun and whimsy of the decade, and of course the kitsch.  I gradually started to realize that the 50’s really matched my personality and  I felt most comfortable and most me in looks from that decade.  After my 39th birthday this year I decided to commit fully to a  1950’s look.   I sold or gave away all of my 1930’s clothing and began the process of building a 1950’s wardrobe, a process which this blog will chronicle.  Overall I was thrilled with my new project, but I did have one worry, hats.

I simply didn’t know that much about 50’s hats.  So I did some research:

There is the platter style left, and it’s sister, the more rounded saucer version, right

 

The small head band like casque

 

Sporty casual caps, like the calot

Late 50’s sun hats with scarf ties

Portrait of Belgian-born American actress Audrey Hepburn (1929 – 1993) as she wears a peculiar hat and sleeveless blouse and holds a pool cleaning net beside a dry swimming pool, early 1950s. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

and the similar Asian inspired pointed coolie sun hats, the bottom hat is mine.

 

I like all of these styles, with the exception of the platter and saucer styles, but one of my favorite 1950’s hat styles is a largely forgotten class of small pointed hats.

Almost like elf or pixie hats these little caps have a triangle or cone shape and a flat or pointed top.  I have two that I purchased from the wonderful etsy shop Briony Lodge Vintage

 

 

 

According to millinery expert Jan who runs the shop, this style of  hat is called a “cooky cutter” and was first introduced by Dior in 1950, with Balenciaga offering a similar style called the cereal bowl.  I couldn’t find any pictures of these creations but I did find a photo of Audrey Hepburn sporting a similar pointed hat

and a very extreme version by Elsa Schiaparelli

 

The way these hat’s sit on the head means they are best viewed from the side

But I like how they look from the front as well:

 

So charming and fun!

I haven’t found any offered anywhere  else other then Briony Lodge, so they must be a bit hard to come by.  Jan has two more cooky cutter hats for sale in her shop a tri-colored one in brown straw    and and a black velvet version

both are $35.00.

With two cooky cutter hats in my wardrobe I feel I have enough of this particular 1950’s hat style so I hope these lovely examples go to other mid-century style lovers, and no matter what your era be sure to check out Jan’s shop she has the prettiest vintage  hats on etsy and the best prices!